Quebec radio host suspended after prodding anti-Semitic caller

A Quebec radio company has suspended shamed radio host Jacques Fabi, who egged on an anti-Semitic caller on his radio show last week. The suspension coincides with an apology letter from Fabi, who said the incident was regrettable but defended himself against claims that he supported the racist tirade.

Fabi, who hosts a late night radio show in Quebec for cable and radio broadcaster COGECO, has come under national fire since a November 21 interview with an anti-Semitic caller named “Maria” who seemed to attract the empathy of Fabi.

“To think that I would ever endorse comments of this nature could not be further from the truth,” Fabi, who hosts a show on 98.5 FM, wrote in an apology letter. “I did not intend to encourage them, but I admit that I was negligent.”

“I have never, nor will I ever, trivialize the horrific tragedy of the Holocaust.”

During the call, Fabi engaged Maria, who identified herself as a Muslim upset at the loss of life in Gaza after the latest Israeli-Palestinian military standoff. She referred to Israel as a dog and expressed her view about the beauty of the Nazi genocide during WWII.

Instead of interrupting or cutting her off, Fabi allowed her to continue. He only warned her that her opinion would be frowned upon, and that he resented the fact some topics were off limits.

“You know, Madame, in this beautiful country we have freedom of expression, but one can never make negative comments, whatever their nature, against the Jewish people,” he said, according to the National Post. “Otherwise there will be consequences.”

He also told Maria he thought the behavior of the Jewish community in Montreal was “annoying.”

But in defending his actions today, Fabi wrote that his decision to allow the caller to repeatedly insult Jews was a result of his “lack of judgement.” In his letter, he apologized to the Jewish community and said he accepted the “disciplinary measures” imposed on him.

Fabi has been suspended on unpaid leave until December 21, COGECO said in a statement.

The company “offers its apologies for the inappropriate comments made on air” and “deplore, without reservation, the on-air host’s lack of judgment in this case,” it said.

Last week, when news of the bigoted conversation broke, it attracted the scorn of Heritage Minister James Moore.

“And the host expressed frustration at not being able [to] speak freely?” he tweeted, seemingly offended.

Broadcast rules of both the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council and the national broadcast regulator, the CRTC, outlaw hate speech on air. In extreme cases, the offending broadcaster’s license can be revoked as a disciplinary measure.